Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands. 'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Canvas, Oil
$3,000
Princess /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Painting Grace Kelly Abstract Colorful
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Princess" Series: Eclecticism *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2024 Medium: Origi...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
After the Game (Figurative Painting, Two Men in Athletic Uniforms by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative portrait painting of a handsome young men "After the Game", By Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, a...
Canvas, Oil
TROPIC 1 by Ramon Enrich - Landscape Painting, Earth Tones, Architecture
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
TROPIC 1 is a unique acrylic on paper mounted on wood painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 94.5 × 134 cm (37.2 × 52.8 in). The artwork is signed, sold frame...
Wood, Paper, Acrylic
In My White Boots - Colorful Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Autumn Northsea 2 - 21st Century Contemporary landscape painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Joost Verhagen Autumn Northsea 2 45 x 55 cm Acrylic paint on canvas We ship worldwide for free in a wooden crate, framed as seen on the pictures. Because of the constantly changing...
Canvas, Acrylic
New Girl in Town
Located in Zofingen, AG
New Girl in Town captures that delicate, almost imperceptible feeling of being slightly out of rhythm with the world around you — where everything seems settled, familiar, already un...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
Africa Motifs 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,100
Bluebell Abundance: Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Bluebell Abundance Large Floral Painting, Contemporary, Delight, Colorful, New It captures the essence of nature's delight. Lilies in shades of pink, intertwined Bluebells a...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Mountains 16 January 10:41 - Modern Nature Landscape Painting
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
Africa Motifs 6 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sandy Cove - folk art, Nova Scotia, Maud Lewis 1950s
By Maud Lewis
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This original oil on beaver board folk art painting is by Nova Scotia’s Maud Lewis. Maud Lewis is beloved for her simple, colourful and joyful paintings prized by fine art collecto...
Oil, Fiberboard
$450
Africa Motifs 8 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$9,500
Joy
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on wood painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt...
Oil, Wood Panel
Pink Ascension Beyond The Moon & Stars
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, artist's antique frame, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hu...
Gold Leaf
$165
Zinnia Bouquet in Glass Jar II - Colorful Floral Watercolor Still Life on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Xiao Wen Xu's artistic practice is deeply influenced by her profound appreciation for the natural world. This artwork is part of her "Zinnia Bouquet" series. Through a masterful blen...
Paper, Watercolor
$8,900
Clustered Objects and Halo, Diptych. Still Life Painting, Contemporary
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In most of the paintings, the artist uses an interior space as his subject, placing a table or similar object at its center. The use of symmetry and eye level often suggests an altar...
Canvas, Oil
$1,320
Landscape 07 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 07 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
Yellow Smudge - Vibrant Yellow Tone Abstract Figurative Sculptural Wall Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$1,320
Landscape 20 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 20 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
White Ascension House of God
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt Slonem is renowned fo...
Gold Leaf
Hidden Glow
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Sea Within — Shells & Pearls. Hidden Glow reveals an open oyster with two luminous pearls, softly radiating from within. The pearls are rendered with exceptional realism,...
Canvas, Acrylic
Muriel Chazalon, "End of day" Oil on canvas, Contemporary Landscape
Located in Montfort l’Amaury, FR
Muriel Chazalon (b. 1957) – Fin de journée (End of Day) Oil on canvas, 2023, 31½ × 47¼ in. (80 × 120 cm) signed on the back Fin de journée is a large-scale landscape painting by Mur...
Canvas, Oil
$4,301
Passage des Volumes – Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting, Architectural
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Passage des Volumes Artist: Sophie Dumont Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 x 54 cm (25.6 x 21.3 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 72 x 61 cm (28.3 x 24 in) Year: 2025 Conditi...
Oil
Silent Dialogue Acrylic and Color Pencil Painting, Contemporary, 2010+
Located in Oslo, NO
Silent dialogue Marina Skvortsova lives and works between Norway and Estonia. Born in Siberia with Asian roots, Marina feels a deep cultural connection to Eastern traditions. Her wo...
Acrylic, Color Pencil
Hummingbird (260307)
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gwen Wong's work is both painterly and allegorical, caught somewhere in the middle between the representational painter and the narrator. "I am inspired by the idea of a childhood re...
Gold Leaf
With You - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Tos...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Once Upon a Time Over Tuscany
Located in Zofingen, AG
Once Upon a Time Over Tuscany is a quiet return to a place that was once misunderstood — a soft, drifting world that used to be called distraction, daydreaming, or living too much in...
Canvas, Acrylic
In The Presence of Fragrant Bliss - Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
The Red Moon -from Light Series, Contemporary Woven and Painted Abstract Artwork
Located in Salzburg, AT
'The Red Moon', from The Light series, hand-weaving, linen yarn, organic cotton, wool, acrylic textile paint, 80 x 60 cm, 2026 This work are a symbiosis of two disciplines of art, P...
Textile, Cotton, Linen, Yarn, Acrylic
Light 15 July 13:22 - Modern Minimalistic Landscape Painting, Sea View
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Acrylic, Canvas
Turquoise Dots - Vibrant Yellow Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculptural Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nebraka-based Jamie Burmeister is a sculptural artist known for his original artworks incorporating original small bronze figures, standing at just up to 4 inches tall. His unique fi...
Metal
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Passport 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Red Bow Tie - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Pleasure - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Another Day Still Disable -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. (Issues b...
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Daddy's Girl -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Green
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Olaosun draws h...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Guardians & Butterflies Savior
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Hunt Slonem, American, included in 250+ museum collections Unique oil on canvas painting, signed and dated verso Inspired by nature and his 60 pet birds, Hunt Slonem is renowned fo...
Gold Leaf
Morning in Color
Located in Zofingen, AG
Morning in Color captures an intimate moment suspended within the warmth of early light. Two figures sit facing one another, framed by an open architectural structure that blurs the ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Make Believer (V3)", Hand cut stencil, acrylic, aerosol
By Mando Marie (seeyouthroughit)
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Make Believer (V3)" is a one-of-a-kind original work by Amanda Marie (Mando), created using acrylic and aerosol on paper. The piece measures 19.75 × 15.75 inches and is pencil signe...
Paper, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,320
Landscape 05 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 05 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$10,000
Grass Blue Wild Flower - Sky Blue Periwinkle Magenta Abstract Painting, 2022
By Josette Urso
Located in Kent, CT
Thoughtfully combined sections of varying textures and areas of pattern, stripes, circles, dots and undulations in cheerful, exuberant color. Little moments in luminous shades of sky...
Canvas, Oil
Hero, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A white horse wearing a black eye mask and a cape appears heroic against a clay red background. Artist Jaime Ellsworth portrays the stylized animal with gracefu...
Acrylic
Sédhiou N1 by Calo Carratalá - Waterscape painting, Senegal, Africa
Located in Paris, FR
Sédhiou N1 is a unique oil on canvas painting by Spanish contemporary artist Calo Carratalá, dimensions are 150 × 300 cm (59 × 118.1 in) The artwork is signed, sold unframed and come...
Oil, Canvas
After the (Last) Supper
Located in Zofingen, AG
After the (Last) Supper reflects that quiet moment when the grand story is already over and what remains is something much simpler and far more intimate; the drama has left the room,...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sunday, Oil Painting
By Jesse Aldana
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman sits on a sofa, reading quietly as soft daylight filters through a large window. Warm tones and gentle light fill the room, creating a calm and inviting...
Oil
$2,850
Morning Blooming - Butter Yellow Floral Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$450
Africa Motifs 10 -21st Century Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Design
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$675
Love Tide Washes In - Mixed Media Street Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,813Sale Price|35% Off
Heaven on Earth Abstract Landscape Painting, Ethereal Green, 48x30"
Located in Silverthorne, CO
There is this idea of heaven as a place so mysterious to me. A place gated and guarded, a place in some other realm. A place of angels. But what if heaven in here? This earth beneat...
Oil
Hummingbird (260310)
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gwen Wong's work is both painterly and allegorical, caught somewhere in the middle between the representational painter and the narrator. "I am inspired by the idea of a childhood re...
Gold Leaf
PAILL by Ramon Enrich - 5.7 ft wide painting, landscape and architecture
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
PAILL is a unique acrylic on canvas painting by contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions including the frame are 95 × 175 cm (37.4 × 68.9 in). The artwork is signed, sold frame...
Canvas, Acrylic
$675
Love Bomb - Original Minimalist Black and White Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$3,050
Nature's Beauty - Large Scale Mixed Media Graffiti Inspired Artwork on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Garden - Contemporary Jade Green Aqua Blue Poured Painting, 2025
Located in Kent, CT
Garden by Susan English, a contemporary poured painting, is a wonderful play of color, light, and composition. Vertical stripes and blocks of color in hues of soft jade, pale mint gr...
Acrylic Polymer, Panel
Philosopher Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Surreal, 30x38in, Signed
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Philosopher" . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe using DHL or FedEx, no custom or import fees in the US. Free shipping with FRE...
Oil, Canvas
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Waiting To Blossom -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Meditation
Located in Burlingame, CA
Willard Dixon is widely recognized for his calm, contemplative landscapes and skyscapes, paintings that hold stillness, clarity, and a quiet reverence for nature. In this exhibition,...
Canvas, Oil
Fields - Modern Contemporary Atmospheric Landscape
Located in Salzburg, AT
A few words of the artist about his art: When i painting landscapes, I usually choose simple geometric arrangements, contrasts of verticals and levels. I juxtapose the smooth surfac...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting in Green with Penguin, "The Forgotten"
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Contemporary abstract oil painting on canvas in shades of green, created with professional Winsor & Newton and Rembrandt oil paints. The surface is built up through successive la...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.